Economic Impacts of Homegardens to Households in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the economics of homegardens and their contribution to household livelihoods in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 260 households across four clans in the study area. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, and means) as well as farm budgetary tools, including gross margin, net farm income, and returns to family labor. The socio-economic analysis showed that homegarden production was dominated by economically active households with moderate family sizes and relatively high educational attainment, suggesting strong capacity for adoption of improved practices. The profitability results revealed that the enterprise generated a total revenue of ₦191,188,100 and an average revenue of ₦650,723.46 per farmer, while the gross margin stood at ₦118,625,500 (₦371,636.10 per farmer) and net farm income at ₦77,823,000 (₦214,703.40 per farmer), indicating that homegardens are economically viable and significantly contribute to household income. The cost structure further showed that variable costs constituted 64.01% of total production cost, with seeds, labor, and manure being the major drivers of expenditure. It was concluded that homegardens are profitable and play a vital role in enhancing household income, food security, and livelihood diversification in the study area, and it was recommended that farmers be supported with improved access to inputs, credit facilities, and extension services to further increase productivity and profitability.